CLEVELAND, Ohio -- New Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman has aced his first test.

Dealing with the intense pressure that inherently comes with running the championship-or-bust Cavaliers, following Kyrie Irving's recent trade request where he expressed overall unhappiness with his situation, Altman's job was immediately made more difficult. And yet, with the spotlight shining, he delivered -- just like an Irving late-game dagger -- getting exactly what the Cavs needed while rescuing a lousy summer.

Yes, somehow in a deal involving a three-time All-Star, where other executives failed to receive equal value for their stars (looking at you Chicago and Indiana), Altman won his first trade.

The Cavs placed a high price tag on Irving. Rightfully so. At just 25 years old, he has a team-friendly contract, a sterling resume, championship experience and immense potential to blossom into a top 5 point guard. For that, the Cavs were looking for a massive haul -- players to help stay in championship contention, youngsters to aid an aging roster, draft picks to replenish the empty asset cupboard after a series of all-in moves that cost them dearly in the long term and some salary relief to lower that massive luxury tax bill.

That's exactly what they received. The final deal: Isaiah Thomas, Ante Zizic, Jae Crowder and a 2018 first-round pick for Irving.

In Thomas, the Cavs receive Irving's replacement, a ready-made starting point guard who morphed into an MVP candidate this past season in Boston, helping the Celtics claim the Eastern Conference's top spot. One of the most efficient pick-and-roll players in the NBA, Thomas will help in the Cavs' quest to chase another championship in LeBron James' final season under contract. Thomas will also allow free-agent addition Derrick Rose to come off the bench, his proper role at this point of his career.

Isaiah Thomas in pick-and-roll offense

There's some downside with Thomas. He's not only known league-wide as an immense defensive liability, but he's only a few months removed from a hip injury that took him out of the postseason early and will be a free agent at the end of the season, likely demanding a max contract.

Thomas overmatched in post-up switches

Still, he's probably the best player the Cavs could've gotten for the 2017-18 season.

Crowder also helps from that standpoint. He's a rugged, versatile forward who gives the Cavs another perimeter defender, taking that responsibility away from James. If closing the gap on the Warriors is the goal -- and it should be -- that requires finding a small-ball lineup, more 3-and-D options to match Golden State's best group. Crowder, who has one of the NBA's nicest contracts, can play either forward spot, depending on the lineups head coach Tyronn Lue wants to use.

Crowder 2017 playoff highlights

Getting two quality starters -- even though Crowder is likely to come off the bench -- helps Cleveland's depth, an issue exposed by the Warriors in the NBA Finals. Crowder should also help limit James' minutes, which climbed too high last season, as the Cavs floundered with him off the floor.

Zizic is a bit of a wild card. He looked overwhelmed at times in summer league, but gives the Cavs a developmental big. One of the best players in the Adriatic Basketball Association, which has churned out Dario Saric, Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Jokic recently, Zizic played for former Cavs coach David Blatt and injects some youth into an elderly roster, one that could be loaded with high-priced veterans that wouldn't match a post-James reclamation project.

As is the case in every blockbuster, there needs to be a centerpiece. While Thomas is the biggest name coming back to Cleveland, the unprotected first-round pick sent to Boston from the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets is the prize.

Boston was involved in earlier summer conversations surrounding Paul George and Jimmy Butler and seemed reluctant to part with it. Somehow, Altman pried it away, pushing the deal over the finish line.

For the Cavs, the pick currently represents future hope. The Nets have improved this summer, adding Allen Crabbe, D'Angelo Russell and DeMarre Carroll so it's unlikely they will again finish with the league's worst mark, something that would guarantee a top 4 pick, but one look at the roster and the lottery seems inevitable. If James leaves, the Cavs will be able to snag a future building block.

That's why the Cavs were repeatedly fixated on a young star -- Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum or Josh Jackson. They didn't reel in any of the three. But the draft pick gives them another route to eventually add that type of player.

Meanwhile, draft picks and young players are assets. If another star becomes available midway through this season, always a possibility in the ever-changing NBA, the Cavs will be positioned to pounce, sweetening -- and perhaps trumping -- offers with that valued lottery ticket.

Trading disgruntled stars can be tricky. The Cavs lost the second-best player in franchise history and the most important player not named James during a three-year run of dominance in the East. Irving's isolation gifts, while maddening at times, were integral to the Cavs making three straight Finals trips. The core of second-best team has been shaken. But once the situation became irreparable the Cavs were left without much choice. They had to move on.

It always seemed Cleveland was staring at a perplexing choice: Continue with its all-in approach or make a long-term play using the most valuable trade chip.

But the Cavs avoided that decision. Instead, they got the perfect blend -- a win-now move that also helps set up their future.

After parting with David Griffin, failing on deals for Butler and George, missing on their top target to run the front office and doing little in free agency to threaten the Warriors, the Cavs needed a modicum of redemption. This Irving deal is it. The Cavs got exactly what they wanted and Altman started to answer questions about his readiness for this gig.